My kestrels have decamped since last fall. The starlings have taken over their perch. Maybe the falcon's will move back in for summer...which would bode ill for the Starlings.

Meanwhile. I took trip to Salt Lake City to see Lady Gaga. I rode the California Zephyr. Trains, Mormons and "little monsters", it was crazy fun!

I have Kestrels!
Just thought everyone should know. For the last few weeks it was just Kestrel, singular, but today they're a pair. All this morning they've been sitting atop the antenna array on the roof of the Saddlery, preening and surveying the territory. In the full sunlight I can see one has more colorful plumage. Colorful for a falcon anyway, his wings are slate blue and the tuft on his back a nice rusty red, there's a little light yellow around the black and white markings on his face. Usually I've seen him just around dusk and the light wasn't strong enough for me to pick out these details but I'm pretty sure he's the one that has been visiting the antena these last few weeks.
His partner this morning is a much more subdued brown with a tawny breast, probably a female, sensibly dressed for camouflage, not needing the flashy colors males use to attract mates. Hopefully he's found his mate, this is the first time he hasn't been solo up there.

They've been pretty lazy most of the morning, though I did see the male make an attempt on a swallow and the couple were harried by a wasp.

I'm in the heart of the city but near the confluence of Cherry Creek and the Platte. Nature sort of slyly encroaches on us down here and I love it; the starlings that nest in my wall, the Kestrels, the occasional stealth recon by a fox who comes up through the train yards to see if there are any restaurant leftovers to be had.

I took some pictures but the phone cam resolution is terrible. I'll post some better ones when I get my Nikon recharged.